Reports

Report of Haydon Wick Youth Council visit to National Trust Central Office (Heelis)

On Wednesday 2 December 2009, members of the Youth Council visited Heelis, the National Trust Central Office, located at Kemble Drive, Swindon, and were taken on a tour of the building by the Visitor Services Manager, Isobel Thompson.  The members were informed about the work of the National Trust and were shown some of the building’s features which are described in this report.

The National Trust is a charity and is completely independent of Government.  They rely on income from membership fees, donations and legacies, and revenue raised from commercial operations.  There are over 3.6 million members and 55,000 volunteers.  The National Trust protects and opens to the public over 350 historic houses, gardens and ancient monuments.  They also look after forestry, farmland, islands, villages, archaeological remains and nature reserves.

Heelis is an environmentally friendly, sustainable building.  It was opened in 2005, and is named after the famous author Beatrix Potter (Heelis being her married name) one of the Trust’s most famous benefactors.  The building houses approximately 450 staff which were previously spread across four different sites.  The central office provides a more integrated service and works in a more efficient and productive way.  The overall costs for building Heelis were met by the developers who have given the Trust a favourable, long term lease.

Running costs have been reduced by £550,000 a year and the National Trust expects to save around £400,000 per annum in London weighting payments in the future and more than £250,000 per annum in administrative costs thanks to the improved working practices allowed by the new building.

Heelis has received 16 awards including the RIBA Sustainability Award 2006 for its eco-friendly attributes.

Sustainability: This is a key issue in the National Trust’s philosophy and Heelis has had to meet high quality benchmarks for sustainable design.  The open plan offices ensure good communication between departments.

The use of day-lighting and nature ventilation demonstrates how a building can be architecturally exciting, whilst being efficient, sustainable and economical.  Heelis is expected to generate just 15kg of carbon dioxide per square metre per year compared  to169kg for a typical air conditioned office.

Building:  The shape of Heelis draws inspiration from the history of the Churchward site and a desire to bring staff together under one roof.  Brunel’s railway works once covered the majority of the site with deep plan, single volume spaces, designed to maximise day-lighting in much the same way as the Atrium at Heelis.

The building cuts across the site giving a north/south orientation to the roof pitches. North facing pitches allow the maximum possible amount of daylight to enter the building without causing it to overheat.  The south facing pitches are covered in solar panels, which provide around 40 per cent of the building’s electricity needs.

Photovoltaics:  Mounted on the south facing pitches of the roof at Heelis are 1,554 photovoltaic (solar) panels.  The electricity generated is used in the building and any excess can be sold back to the grid.  In the reception at Heelis, a display indicates the energy generated and the CO2 emissions saved.

Lighting: A lighting control system adjusts the level of artificial light in response to external conditions and movement sensors ensure that lights are turned off in unoccupied areas.  Roller blinds internally and brick fins externally prevent any excess glare. The result is a workspace with comfortable, even and largely natural lighting throughout.

Heating and ventilation: Heelis is naturally ventilated.  Concrete ceilings absorb heat from the office space during the working day to create a comfortable environment.  Some windows are controlled automatically and other can be opened manually.  Roof vents are controlled by special sensors and open into the distinctive ‘snouts’ on top of the building.  These ‘snouts’ act as chimneys to ensure the circulation of fresh air and protect against the rain.  During the winter, much of the heat is provided by incoming fresh air, warmed by the extracted air which has been heated by people and all the electronic equipment.  In summer, secure external vents automatically open at night, allowing the whole structure to cool.

Atrium tapestries:  The members were shown the atrium where staff are able to consume refreshments and hold meetings.  The 5 hanging tapestries in the atrium acts as acoustic baffles and space dividers.  They were produced by artist Eleanor Pritchard who designed and wove the panels on a 1930’s loom.  The tapestries represent the 5 areas of responsibility of the National Trust – coastlines, woodland, gardens, building and farmland.

The timber used in the building has been harvested from sustainable woodland, for example, the coffee tables in the atrium are made from oak trees.  The office carpet was specially developed for the building using wool from Herwick sheep in the Lake District.

Recycling: There are a number of recycling centres in the building which take the place of desk-side bins.  They are used to recycle glass, bottles, cans, stamps, etc.  Approximately 60 per cent is recycled. There is a centralised print system with 12 printers.  Each user has a PIN and printing is only produced when staff enter their pin into one of the machines.  The printers are defaulted to double sided printing, and this has greatly reduced paper consumption.

Internal gardens: Anther feature of the building is the two internal courtyard gardens, which allow light to the ground floor.  Volunteers tend the gardens and grow produce in square raised beds.  The vegetables and herbs are used in the National Trust cafe.

Green travel policy:  Heelis operates a green travel policy.  Employees are encouraged to walk, cycle, or use public transport to travel to work.  A registered car share scheme is in operation as there are only 150 car park spaces allocated.  To support this initiative the National Trust provide secure cycle sheds and parking for motorbikes and mopeds.  They also provide subsidised bus travel.